Kai O'Donnell heads back to Leigh Leopards for 2027
Kai O'Donnell is going home to Leigh Leopards. The club will welcome him back for the 2027 Super League season, BBC Sport reported.
Super League is the top division of rugby league in England. It is the 13-a-side code, where teams move the ball forward by running and passing, and must hand over possession after six tackles.
O'Donnell first played for Leigh for three years before crossing the world to join North Queensland Cowboys in Australia's NRL, the sport's top competition. He spent the last two seasons in Townsville, the Cowboys' home city in northern Queensland.
His exit from the Cowboys was confirmed in September, which cleared the way for the move back to England, Love Rugby League reported at the time.
He has history at the club. During his first spell at Leigh he scored 31 tries in 77 games. He was part of the side that won the Championship in 2022, which is the league just below Super League. A year later he was in the team that won the Challenge Cup at Wembley, ending a 52-year wait for the trophy.
Players moving between England and Australia is a common pattern in rugby league, and it runs both ways. Leigh's supporters will be hoping the experience he gained in the NRL helps the club in the years ahead. Neither the club nor the player has said how his role will look next season, so that remains to be seen.
For readers new to the sport, the simple version is this: a player who knows the club, has won trophies there and has spent two years in the toughest competition in the game is coming back. The rest will be decided on the training ground and in the matches.
